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Four Pasco elementary schools get new principals

 
Published April 6, 2016

The recent unexpected resignation of Lane Morris as Gulfside Elementary School's principal has set off a chain reaction of leadership changes in Pasco County's west-side elementary schools.

Jeanne Krapfl, who has run Cypress Elementary since summer 2013, will take over at Gulfside. She had been Gulfside's assistant principal before transferring to Cypress.

Tracy Graziaplene, the principal at Hudson Elementary since summer 2013, will move into the top spot at Cypress. Graziaplene ran Northwest Elementary before taking over Hudson, which needed new leadership because of a retirement and also accountability requirements. Hudson still faces state accountability mandates.

Dawn Scilex, principal of Fox Hollow Elementary since summer 2013, is headed to Hudson. Scilex took Fox Hollow, which had seen its state grade drop from a C to an F over three years, back to a C in 2015. Her arrival at Hudson is part of a larger turnaround effort, district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said.

Karyn Kinzie, Fox Hollow's assistant principal, will slide into the top job there.

ANOTHER NEW SCHOOL: The Pasco County School District has two distinct growth areas along the State Road 54 corridor — Wesley Chapel and Trinity/Odessa.

Its new elementary school in Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Elementary, is set to open in the fall. And now the district has a site for its next elementary school in the Trinity/Odessa area.

The School Board this week accepted 18 acres in the Bexley Ranch subdivision, just north of where Ballantrae Boulevard ends. The district gets the property for impact fee credits at 115 percent of the Pasco County property appraiser's value.

It's part of a development agreement for the residential community, which is slated to eventually have more than 11,000 single-family homes. And it would be the first of several school sites needed to accommodate all of that growth.

The initial project, known as Elementary B for now, would take families from the new homes as well as ease crowding at nearby Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools. Elementary B is scheduled to open in 2017.

ABOUT THAT GROWTH: The school district's planning department has issued its final 2016-17 average daily enrollment projections, and the numbers continue to increase.

A month ago, officials estimated the district would have 1,144 more students than this year.

Now, they're anticipating growth of 1,311 students. That would put the total at 66,042.

The way the students would be distributed, 26 campuses would be over their built capacities and frozen to school choice. Others would have hundreds of open seats.

With the numbers set, the superintendent's staff next intends to determine how many teachers each school will need for the coming year.

READY FOR K: All Pasco County elementary schools will open their doors May 2 to families with children scheduled to begin kindergarten in the fall.

To qualify for kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2016. To preregister, families need to bring:

• The child's birth certificate or other proof of birth date.

• Health examination — HRS Form 3040.

• HRS certificate of immunization.

• Proof of Florida residency, such as a current utility bill (electric, water, etc.), lease agreement, driver's license or state identification card.

Contact information to get more details about preregistration activities and times at each school can be found at pasco.k12.fl.us/schools.

Contact Jeffrey S. Solochek at jsolochek@tampabay.com or (813) 909-4614. Follow @JeffSolochek.